Petals of a Black Rose
by Rayne Grate
Summary: Saiya and Haku are best friends. Bullied at school, they take three months of their summer break in Okinawa, hoping to change their images and make some new friends when they return to school. But what will they find when they enter their beach house?


In a perfect world, Saiya would be the popular girl. The girl with all the cute clothes, cute boys prancing around her all the time. The girl with the money to do whateber she wanted, and to keep peace in their highschool.

But this was not a perfect world. This was Saiya's world. She was the girl who got hit and teased. She was hated around the school for what she was. She was a girl who never got invited to parties or to hang out. She was the girl who everyone laughed at when she got an answer wrong during class, even though she had higher grades than anyone else in that whole school.

Saiya had one friend, though. Haku Yowane. She was just as hated as Saiya was, if not more. They figured they'd have to stick together. They were very close friends, in fact. They always had a movie night on Friday, and slept over each other's homes often.

She did not know what Haku would get her into that summer.

It was almost time for summer break, and Saiya and Haku had a great trip planned. They were going to Okinawa for three months, to have fun and change their images. Maybe pick up a few cute boys. They were determined to have a wonderful summer.

They lived their dead-end lives in Tokyo, but they loved going to Okinawa. They went there every summer, but this was the longest trip they would have. They were going alone, too, so that would make the trip even better. They couldn't wait. Saiya and Haku would have a great time. Or so they thought.

Saiya sighed as she sat in her English class, watching everyone else laugh and not watch the movie that was playing. She sat all the way in the back, where no one else wanted to sit. She sat rather secluded, as well. Every day, she always pulled her desk out and away from the other kids. Her teachers never fully understood it, but after a talk with Saiya, and listening to her loud and obnoxious protests to sitting with the other students, they just let it go. She wasn't bothering anybody, anyway.

A few guys turned around and looked at her, and winked. They all grinned at her, making a little phone with their hands and shaking it gently. She looked at them with a little glint of hope in her eyes, and they just started laughing hysterically as they then flipped her off and gagged themselves. Tears blurred Saiya's vision, but she blinked them back, determined to not cry in front of these losers, as she liked to look at them. Even though she knew that she, Saiya Iketawa, was the loser in reality.

Three girls looked behind themselves and at her, and started pulling on their hair and whispering to each other. Saiya's hair had always looked a little stringy, but it wasn't her fault. They giggled and laughed, then turned back around to flirt-fight with the guy who was checking them out.

Saiya stood up and nonchalantly went towards the door to grab a hall pass to use the bathroom, when a baseball came flying at her. She yelped when it hit her straight in her breast, clutching herself as she hurried out. She ran into the bathroom and straight into the handicapped stall, so she had the sink and mirror. Tears ran down her cheeks silently as she lifted her shirt to inspect the damage. Only a small bruise, she discovered, but nonetheless, it hurt badly.

That day, after school, she waited for Haku where she always did. Behind the third tree near the wing that wasn't used very often anymore. Saiya sat there with her sketchbook, sketching the landscape of the forest in front of her. They cut through that forest every day after school. They didn't mess the nature up, though. They knew that the forest was important, so they didn't bother it as they walked home.

Haku came running over to where Saiya was sitting. She was panting, and tears were streaming down her cheeks as she ran over. Saiya turned around and got up, dropping her sketchbook and pencil. She grabbed Haku's shoulders.

"What happened, Haku-chan? What's the matter?" Her voice was filled with concern.

"They..they took my bag...and...they shredded it! It had all my good drawings in it...and...all my schoolwork!" Her face was red, and her eyes were puffy from crying.

Saiya's eyes widened and she hugged Haku, rubbing the girl's back gently. Her long, gray-ish hair swayed slightly in the breeze as she did so. Haku sniffled and pulled away, rubbing her eyes. She sighed gently, running her hand through her hair.

"Thank you, Saiya-chan...I can get everything back, it's just...they were so mean to me." Her eyes were red and puffy, but she gave a weak smile.

"It's alright, Haku-chan. In three days, we'll be on summer vacation and we'll be in Okinawa." Saiya's face lit up and she giggled, hugging Haku happily now.

Saiya moved to Haku during their biology class. "Sign my yearbook, Haku-chan?" She handed the yearbook over with a sharpie and a big grin. It was the last day of school, and everyone was itching to leave.

Haku took it, and write her name very big over all the signing pages. It was another tradition of theirs. Every year, they wrote their names very big over all the signing pages, because no one ever signed theirs otherwise.

Saiya grabbed Haku's yearbook, and did the same. She sat down next to Haku. Their lab table was all the way in the back of the room, where no one else wanted to sit. It smelled of preservatives, but they'd gotten used to it. Saiya's long, stringy reddish hair blew in the fan, another perk of sitting in the back. They were right near the fan, because that was the only place they could plug it in without overpowering the room. Her ice blue eyes looked down at her sketch of Haku.

Biology was their last class of the day. Both Haku and Saiya were squirming in their seats as the last few minutes of the day ticked away. Haku was staying at Saiya's that night, and they would be getting on a plane to Okinawa in the morning. 2:27...2:28...2:29...2:30.

The bell rang, and an eruption of loud screams came about. Papers began to fly about the room, and Saiya giggled, grabbed Haku's wrist and her stuff, and pulled the other outside. She laughed as they basically ran home, and Haku followed, her long, gray hair trailing behind her.

They reached Saiya's home in a little bit. Saiya's mother was baking, making a small lemon bunt cake. She smiled warmly as they walked in.

"Did you guys have a good last day?" She wiped her hands with her apron, her brown eyes warm and homey.

"Yeah, mom. We had a great day. But we're really excited to go to Okinawa." Saiya dropped her bag on the floor and took off her shoes, and Haku did the same.

Saiya's mom smiled again and turned back to the stove. "Remember to get to sleep a little early...your flight takes off at eight tomorrow morning."

A few hours of music and sketching passed by, and the two girls fell asleep, dreaming of the wonderful summer they were going to have in Okinawa.

That morning, they woke, dressed, and drove their way to the airport. They boarded their plane at seven fifty, and got settled in their seats. It was a long flight, almost three hours, and they were equipped with books, sketchbooks, and their mp3 players.

At eleven, their plane finally landed in Okinawa. They did not know what awaited them in Okinawa, but they hoepd it was a new chance for life. To find dates, and to just plain have a good time. That's when they heard the words that they'd been dying to hear since the day they booked this flight.

"Welcome passengers, you have landed in Okinawa. It is eleven twenty three, eighty five degrees. Thank you for choosing this airline."


End file.
